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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. march — music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — a safe
  16. squash — the sport
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stem — to come from
  19. face — to confront
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com